Links (and other resources) consume power whenever they are “up,” at a level that is relatively independent of the data pattern associated with the link. That is, regardless of whether data is being transmitted or received on a link, the power consumed by the link remains substantially the same. Conventional systems use a link down state policy to regulate power by transitioning the link to a down state during the gaps between bursts of data. The links are typically transitioned back to an up state after the next burst of data is ready to be transmitted. The exit transition latency may incur a performance penalty.